Published: Thursday, January 16, 2014 at 04:03 PM.

When Rebecca Black met Michael Leoni and Michelle Kaufer and heard about the documentary they were making about homeless kids, she knew she wanted to be part of the project.

The 2008 Ashbrook High graduate, who got her big break when she landed a job as a production assistant on Broadway with RKO Stage, didn’t hesitate when the filmmakers asked her to sign on as an associate producer.

Blending her love of the arts with public service has always been a priority.

“The reason I said yes is because I have been involved in community service my whole life,” said Black, who earned a degree in dramatic arts in 2012 from UNC Chapel Hill. “I look for projects that not only have the power to impact the artistic community but all parts of life.”

And the statistics about the number of teens living on the streets floored her – 1.8 million kids are homeless in America and 13 of them die every day. Plus the dedication and commitment Leoni and Kaufer had for the project can’t be described as anything short of inspirational. They have gone to extraordinary lengths to the chronicle the lives of these children.

“At Ashbrook, I felt like there were a few kids who were homeless when I was there,” said Black. “But I might not have been as aware of the issue at the time. I didn’t know the statistics.”

When Rebecca Black met Michael Leoni and Michelle Kaufer and heard about the documentary they were making about homeless kids, she knew she wanted to be part of the project.

The 2008 Ashbrook High graduate, who got her big break when she landed a job as a production assistant on Broadway with RKO Stage, didn’t hesitate when the filmmakers asked her to sign on as an associate producer.

Blending her love of the arts with public service has always been a priority.

“The reason I said yes is because I have been involved in community service my whole life,” said Black, who earned a degree in dramatic arts in 2012 from UNC Chapel Hill. “I look for projects that not only have the power to impact the artistic community but all parts of life.”

And the statistics about the number of teens living on the streets floored her – 1.8 million kids are homeless in America and 13 of them die every day. Plus the dedication and commitment Leoni and Kaufer had for the project can’t be described as anything short of inspirational. They have gone to extraordinary lengths to the chronicle the lives of these children.

“At Ashbrook, I felt like there were a few kids who were homeless when I was there,” said Black. “But I might not have been as aware of the issue at the time. I didn’t know the statistics.”

In her role as associate producer, Black helps promote the documentary – which is still in production – in any way she can with the hope of both raising money for it and increasing awareness of the plight of homeless children.

During visits home to Gastonia, she’s spread the word to as many people as she can, including the civic and church groups.

The project had a special impact on the youth at First United Methodist Church in Gastonia, and on one of them in particular – Sophie Jurs, a sixth-grader who shares Black’s passion for helping make the world a better place.

When Sophie had a birthday party, she asked guests to bring a donation to help cover the cost of making the documentary. Becky Greene, director of youth ministries at the church, organized a short program about “American Street Kids” and invited Black to be the guest speaker. In appreciation for Sophie’s efforts, she received a poster signed by Michael Leoni.

When Black speaks about the project, the audience usually falls silent as they hear about children who struggle for things most people take for granted – a decent meal, a shower, a place to sleep without worrying about being harmed.

“I think people are kind of amazed,” said Black.

She credits the success of the documentary to the California-based Leoni, who while making a 2-minute public service announcement on the issue of homeless teens realized there was a much deeper story there.

“The thing about it is Michael is one of the most compassionate people I know,” she said. “Children in these situations often have trust issues, but Michael showed up, he listened to them and they started to trust him and let him come into their lives.”

Besides speaking publicly about the movie, Black also promotes it through social media and other platforms. Her goal is to reach any individual or organization that might want to help.

“American Street Kid” has its own website – www.americanstreetkid.com – where people can learn about the documentary and how they can help.